NPR, call me

Tonight on the drive home I listened to NPR, when I could catch a signal, and I grinned during the segment called Vocal Impressions, where listeners wrote in to describe the voices of American icons. This segment described Morgan Freeman, Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, and Patsy Cline. And what beautiful descriptions NPR’s audience came up with! Seriously, I was floored by some of them. Just perfect.

Next week’s voices include Jack Nicholson and Nora Jones. But, as I lost the signal and changed the station to something with clearer reception, I heard Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” crackle into being and I stayed put and decided to sing along. And it occurred to me that if we want to talk iconic American voices, Al Green has to be at the top of the list. (Forgive me if the show has already covered Al Green and I missed it.)

I decided that if Vocal Impressions ever solicits reader descriptions of Al Green’s voice, I’d have something ready:

A lovesick panther with a shard of glass stuck in his paw.